Baazaar opens to a scene that could well be borrowed from an Abbas-Mustan thriller. A hostile takeover is in progress. As an elderly man exits a meditation hall, he is accosted by a colleague he dislikes. This person tells him that he has had a good run but encourages him to voluntarily retire and hand over the management of his company. To infuse additional drama to the proceedings, he places before him three envelopes that he must choose from. The first contains a letter of resignation allowing a few months' notice to wrap up his affairs, the second — a letter intimating resignation with immediate effect, the third states that he is being fired from his services as the president of the board. These envelopes are graded in the descending order of “izzat” they extend. And when the flummoxed senior responds unfavourably, he’s informed of a fourth envelope accompanied by a jarring background score that hopes to convey the perplexed state. A classic Abbas-Mustan twist.

Heavily inspired by the 1987 classic
Wall Street, this one is a noble attempt to relay a compelling story of financial fraud to audiences unfamiliar with the Oliver Stone film on insider trading. That one was headlined by Michael Douglas who played the ruthless stock trader Gordon Gekko. This one features a similar capitalist reptile, Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan) who, like Gekko, believes in “business not emotions”. In that one, aspiring stock broker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) was prepared to part with his spleen to get a chance to work with his ultimate guru, the infamous stock market maverick Gekko. In this desi version, we have Rizwan Ahmed (Rohan Mehra), a stock broker from Allahabad (perhaps, the last time we get to call it that) who worships Kothari and believes his “small-town mentality” can’t keep him down in the big city.

Stories surrounding stock market wheeling and dealings follow a typical route. Those who go astray in an effort to make a quick million are so blinded by the gratification, they invariably get addicted to the unruly ways. Evidently, this doesn’t bode well for those involved and a shift in morals seems like the only resort. Baazaar doesn’t stray too far from this construct and Rizwan’s appetite to rise above the rest nosedives when he learns that his mentor Kothari’s unscrupulous plans that could be detrimental to him.

Wall Street was universally lauded for Douglas’ ability to infuse his Gekko with an abominable manner. Khan’s Kothari packs in a nefarious tinge but isn’t particularly intimidating and that takes away from what could’ve been a memorable Hindi film character. Mehra’s promising in his debut and this one’s a great vehicle for a launch. Radhika Apte’s Priya who is paired opposite Mehra, is a strong supporting part and Chitrangada Singh as the Kothari’s society doyenne wife Mandira is a character that doesn’t make or break this film.

Director Gauravv K Chawla is tuned in to the vital masalas that make for a Hindi blockbuster and uses the tropes to heighten the drama. While the tension he manages to conjure isn’t consistent, it often leave one in anticipation for the next scene. So if you’ve not watched the Hollywood version, this may interest and occasionally, even manage to entertain you.